SEVERE DROUGHT EXPECTED TO WORSEN ACROSS NATION

Conditions could lead to higher food prices, tourism loss

KANSAS CITY, Mo. 
The drought that has settled over more than half of the continental United States this summer is the most widespread in more than half a century. And it’s likely to grow worse.

The latest outlook released by the National Weather Service on Thursday forecasts increasingly dry conditions over much of the nation’s breadbasket, a development that could lead to higher food prices and shipping costs as well as reduced revenues in areas that count on summer tourism. About the only relief in sight was tropical activity in the Gulf of Mexico and the Southeast that could bring rain to parts of the South.

Some farmers are watching their cash crops burn to the point of no return. Others have been cutting corn early to use for feed, a much less profitable venture. “It really is a crisis. I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like this in my lifetime,” said Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois, after touring ravaged farms in the southern part of the state.

The government has declared one-third of the nation’s counties federal disaster areas as a result of the drought, which will allow farmers to apply for low-interest loans to get them through the disappointing growing season. “It’s got the potential to be the worst drought we’ve ever had in Arkansas,” said Butch Calhoun, the state’s secretary of agriculture.

What is particularly striking about this dry spell is its breadth. Fifty-five percent of the continental United States — from California to Arkansas, Texas to North Dakota — is under moderate to extreme drought, according to the government. As of Sunday, more than half of the corn in seven states was in poor or very poor condition, according to the Agriculture Department. In Kentucky, Missouri and Indiana, that figure is above 70 percent. Overall, 31 percent of the nation’s corn is in good to excellent condition, compared with 66 percent at the same time last year.

The withering corn has increased feed prices and depleted available feeding land, putting stress on cattle farmers. Many farmers have been forced to sell their animals.

The impact of the drought has extended beyond farming. In Missouri, the torrid conditions have sparked forest fires that resemble the types of wildfires seen in the West. Already, 117 wildfires have burned in Missouri’s Mark Twain National Forest, a record-setting pace.

Meanwhile, water levels are falling in town reservoirs as well as major waterways like the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Barge and towboat operators have been reducing the size of their loads because of the low water, said Ann M. McCulloch, a spokeswoman for the American Waterways Operators. This means shipping operators have had to take more trips, increasing transportation costs.